Question

Read the excerpt from Martin Luther King Jr.’s "I Have a Dream” speech.

We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one.

Why does King repeat the phrase "we can never be satisfied”? Select 3 options.

to inspire listeners
to demand action
to explain racial differences
to show negativity
to rally emotional support
to accept current treatment

Answer 1

Correct choices: to inspire listeners; to demand action; to rally emotional support.

Brief explanation:
- Repeating "we can never be satisfied" creates a rhythmic, emphatic refrain that motivates and inspires the audience to keep striving for justice.
- It also functions as a call to action, insisting that injustice must not be tolerated and change is required.
- The repetition unites listeners around a shared feeling of outrage and determination, rallying emotional support.

Why the others are wrong:
- It does not explain racial differences; it condemns injustices experienced.
- It is not meant to show simple negativity; it expresses purposeful refusal to accept injustice.
- It definitely does not accept current treatment—quite the opposite.